


Moving On

by GoodJanet



Category: Mad Men
Genre: Gen, Goodbyes, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 10:24:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3892861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodJanet/pseuds/GoodJanet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Don says goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Too many nights, I sat there all torn apart

Don returns to work on Friday. McCann is ticked and Erickson is letting him off with a warning. Roger is just glad he’s come back in one piece. Don doesn’t feel the need to disabuse them. He’s come back to say good-bye.

~*~*~*~*

There’s a knock at Joan’s door, but there’s no one inside to answer it. Don cautiously opens the door and finds her desk empty of all her personal belongings. Something’s happened while he was gone. He feels a sharp pang in his chest before he walks away. He hopes she’ll remember him fondly, as he asked her out to lunch.

~*~*~*~*

He finds Roger in his fancy new corner office. He looks unsettled.

“Look who’s back!” he says, face instantly lighting up.

That pang comes back as Roger briefly embraces him and offers him a drink.

He hopes Roger will still crack jokes when he's gone. He hopes this place doesn't break his spirits.

~*~*~*~*

He runs into Meredith next. People around the office are not very kind to her, but she’s different with Don. Attentive, even. She always goes above and beyond what he asks of her.

“Oh, Mr. Draper! I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve been very worried about you. Please don’t scare me like that.”

He smiles. She’s so kind and sweet.

He walks over to her when he sees her worried, furrowed brow and gently places his hands on her face. The worry lines melt away instantly. He presses a soft kiss to her lips and pulls away to ask:

“How’s the apartment coming along?”

She takes a moment to gather herself, but she answers professionally.

“It’ll be done this weekend!”

“That's perfect, sweetheart.”

He’s been planning to give the apartment to Meredith anyway.


	2. A dream girl

He’s saved visiting Peggy last. Mostly because he’s not sure what to say, but he knows he needs to say something. He wants to apologize without her realizing what he’s apologizing for.

He knocks twice, and he’s thankful she’s at her desk, looking a little hungover and ultimately very pleased with herself.

“Oh, you’re back,” she says with a smile. “How are you?”

He sees Roger has bequeathed Cooper’s painting to her. Somehow, it fits perfectly.

Don closes the door behind him, and Peggy takes a closer look at him. Something’s wrong.

“Don?”

He should have known that Peggy would have seen right through him. She's always been able to do that. It makes the ache in his chest that much more unbearable.

Don sits down across from her.

“Things are good. I just wanted to come see you in your new palace.”

“I’m hardly a queen,” she demurs.

“I suppose that’s true.”

He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a black velvet box. He carefully deposits it onto his her desk.

“Don, what—?”

He opens the box and reveals a tasteful diamond ring set in silver.

“What’s a queen without her diamonds?” Don asks.

“Don, no. I can’t accept. Are you joking? I cannot be your third wife.”

Don chuckles. He’s going to miss his little spitfire copywriter.

“I’m not asking you to marry me. Megan cleared out my apartment, and this is all I have left. It’s the only thing of Anna’s that I own. Betty didn’t want it and neither did Megan. I wasn’t good enough for them, and they weren’t good enough for this. I want you to have it. You’ll take care of it.”

“I don’t even know what to say. Shouldn't you be giving this to your daughter?”

"Sally wouldn't understand," is all he says by way of explanation. "She wouldn't appreciate it."

He doesn’t pester her with questions nor does he beg her for promises. Instead he holds out his hand and waits for her to tentatively offer hers. Her hand looks so small in his as he wordlessly slides it onto her left hand ring finger. It was far too large to fit Betty, who wore it on a chain on occasion, like a good wife was supposed to do, and it was far too tiny to fit Megan, who refused to wear it at all, forcing Don to buy her brand new one. 

When it fits Peggy perfectly, Don feels hundreds of tiny shards shoot across his chest until he feels like weeping.

“How did you know it would fit?” she asks after a moment of staring at it.

Don swallows.

“I didn’t.”

She tears her eyes away from the ring and sees Don looking at her with tears in his eyes.

“Don.”

He stands to leave, and she stands as if to follow him. 

“Wait.”

He feels her hand on his bicep and looks down. The diamonds glint nearly as brightly as her eyes. Before he loses his nerve, he leans down and kisses her properly.

She pulls away slowly, bewildered for the second time that day.

“You’re more than just one in a basket full of kisses, Peggy. Never let them forget it,” he murmurs into her ear.

If he waits here any longer, he knows he’ll open up to her and won’t follow through.

He opens and shuts the door behind himself before she has the chance to find the right words.


	3. Sad, as it maybe, I had to break my OWN heart

Back in his office, he pours himself a scotch. He toasts himself and his work and his children and his wives and his friends and family. He toasts Anna and Don. And as he takes his last sip, he toasts Dick Whitman too.

Don wonders if the windows in everyone else’s offices are just as easy to pry off…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter titles come from the poem entitled "Silent Page," which was written by poet Poet Destroyer A on poetrysoup.com

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Wandering Between Worlds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3909181) by [writingramblr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/writingramblr)




End file.
